Environment

NICOSIA: The European Union’s climate commissioner on Friday announced a continentwide force of 300 firefighters to battle wildfires, after Europe faced its worst year for wildfires in 2025, which a recent study said was intensified by climate change. EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said Friday the “rapid reaction force” will be made up of firefighters…

A cherry blossom festival boasting a highly Instagrammable view of Japan’s Mount Fuji has been cancelled after residents complained of overtourism fuelled by the weak yen.The city of Fujiyoshida, in central Japan’s Yamanashi region, said Tuesday that the weeks-long event attracting around 200,000 people will be called off this year because “the quiet lives of…

NEW DELHI: Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced that two key restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-4) will now remain in effect to tackle the city’s persistent air pollution.Speaking to the media, Sirsa said vehicles will not be provided petrol without a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) until further notice. “Out…

New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) Vice Chairperson Kuljeet Singh Chahal on Sunday planted a sapling under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign in Sarojini Vihar.After the event, Chahal told that locals have pledged to plant trees.“The ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative has become a movement, a campaign. Our NDMC has taken on this…

NEW DELHI: Delhi government will use nature-based solutions (NbS) to treat polluted water in different drains before it enters the Yamuna. NbS is an eco-friendly initiative for pollution abatement that treats raw sewage on-site. Under the initiative, approved by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) last week, government will use rock filters, stone masonry…

Gurgaon: Citizens campaigning for the protection of Aravali hills on Sunday urged Centre to push for Unesco Biosphere Reserve status for it to “ensure long-term protection”.Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement (ABCM) also called for a comprehensive plan to restore the entire 76,000 sq km landscape, instead of what they described as fragmented “definition-led” approaches tied to…

NEW DELHI: Microplastics could be impacting the oceans’ ability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) which is critical for regulating Earth’s temperature, according to a research. ‘Biological carbon pumping’ is a natural process by which an ocean transfers carbon from the atmosphere into the deep sea layers. “Microplastics (MPs) interfere with this process by reducing phytoplankton…

India-led International Solar Alliance (ISA) will continue working with its 125 member and signatory countries to advance solar energy deployment and climate objectives, official sources said, after the United States withdrew from the initiative, PTI reported.The Gurugram-headquartered ISA, a joint initiative of India and France, was launched on the sidelines of the COP21 climate summit…

LONDON: UK police said a falling tree killed a man in England after record winds brought by Storm Goretti, and nearly 40,000 homes in France were still without power Saturday.Some 15 people have died in weather-related accidents this week across Europe as gale-force winds and storms caused travel mayhem, shut schools, and cut power to…

Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada, which includes northern Alberta and parts of the Northwest Territories, is home to the largest beaver dam ever documented. The structure is located deep within the park, far from roads, towns, and established paths, making it inaccessible by foot. It is so large that it can be seen in…